Fruits Basket
by Facing the Storm
Summary: Kyo returns to Kazuma's dojo to train. But what happens when an old student of Kazuma's returns too. What happens on a mountaintop, stays on a mountaintop, right? This chick has a secret that not even Kazuma knows. What will happen when she tells Kyo? RX
1. On a Mountain top

Chapter One: On a Mountaintop… 

"Oh Kyo, you're finally here!" The slender man glided over to him. "Hello, Master." Kyo replied and bowed his head. "Oh Kyo, come with me, there's someone I'd like you to meet." He turned and strolled down the path. "Follow me." He said over his shoulder. Kyo followed, vaguely wondering where Kazuma would take him, but he trusted him enough to simply follow. After walking for what seemed like hours up the mountain, Kyo felt his energy slowly drain from him. "Here we are." Kazuma said brightly. Kyo had been looking down for some time now, and when he looked up, a sight of utmost beauty lay before his eyes. A huge waterfall stood proudly before him. Its peak seemed to touch the clouds. The cool water fell in gentle wisps, caressing the rock. A speck of an object could be seen at the crest of the peak. The figure vaulted off the cliff and fell toward the pool of water at its base. The sleek figure fell like and arrow, strait and true. She hit the water with such a delicate splash; not even a thin wave crept from its shore. Kyo was confused. Why had his master brought him here? Granted it was beautiful, but hadn't he said that he had someone that he wanted him to meet? "Master, who exactly am I going to meet, and when will I meet them?" He asked cautiously. Kazuma replied wisely. "She will appear momentarily." This left Kyo even more confused. She? What did he mean by that. "Sora." Kazuma spoke to some nearby bushes. "Yes master?" A delicate female voice replied. "Could you come here for a second?" He replied. "Hang on…" This 'Sora' replied. Out from behind the bushes stepped the most beautiful girl Kyo had ever laid eyes on. Tall and thin, she stood with a look of delicacy. Her long, raven-colored hair fell to her waist. "Yes Sensai?" She asked. "Sora, I'd like you to meet Kyo." He gestured behind him. Sora leaned over and gazed at Kyo. His pulse quickened. He was frozen. This beautiful, (for lack of another adjective) amazing girl was staring at _him_!Her eyes, those gentle yet piercing eyes, were the hues of autumn. They fell across him and he felt his face burn with embarrassment.

As she studied this Kyo, her mind wandered. _Is this the same Kyo, Kazuma has spoken of? If so, he must be a very important person, Master could speak of nothing else. _"Pleasure to meet you." Kyo said awkwardly. His gruff voice caught her off guard. "No, the pleasure is all mine." She replied. Kazuma leaned over to Sora and whispered in her ear, "Why don't you show him what a girl can do?" She smiled "Sure." She replied. Kyo turned to leave. "Yo Kyo, how bout a quick one?" She asked, challenging him. "Only if you want to lose." He replied, cracking his knuckles. His eyes flickered. "Bring it on." Sora smiled. "Ladies first."

The battle was brief and oddly entertaining. Kyo threw punches left and right, yet they never came into contact with flesh. The sleek female slipped away from him. All at once, everything stopped. Sora vaulted into the air; kick upwards as she did. Kyo saw stars and fell onto his back. He sat there, stunned for a second. Slowly he rose. "What the hell… a girl?" He said questioningly. "What of it?" She asked, helping him up. "It's just… I've never been beaten by a **_GIRL_**." SPOILER!!! (Cough… Akito… Cough) Sora smiled innocently. "There's a first time for everything." She replied. "Not bad, I must say… for a girl…" Kyo said awkwardly. "You think so? She's one of my more senior students." Kazuma said brightly, patting her on the shoulder. "Yes, I have trained here for many years now." She said brightly. Kyo's mind burned with questions. Many of them being, 'Why haven't I been told of her before? Or, how long is 'many years now?' ' He didn't know and it would only bother him not knowing for a short time. So, he didn't dwell on it.

The sunset that evening was beautiful, the sky glowing all shades of gold and red. Kyo sat upon the roof of the dojo, staring at it, his mind wandering over the interesting happenings of the previous hours. 'Beaten by a girl… that's a new one… where did she come from, and how did she find Kazuma? Did he take her in like he did me?' Some many questions swam through his head; he began to get a headache trying to figure them out. His mind wandered to Sora, the mysterious female fighter that… oh, he didn't want to think about that. If Yuki and the others found out that he had been beaten by a girl, he would never hear the end of it. What if Akito or Shigure found out? Dear lord, he didn't want to find out. The sun sank beneath the mountain, and he could hear the muffled voice of Sora, she was yelling about something. "Kazuma, I have to… you know… that thing." She shouted as she left the house. "Fine, just be back by morning." Kazuma replied. "Don't attack anything important okay?" He called after her as she disappeared into the forest. "I won't." she called back, and disappeared into the dense trees.


	2. Deadly Meetings

Deadly Meetings

Kyo was quiet at dinner. Kazuma didn't even pretend to not know why. "Don't worry about her." He said calmly. Kyo looked up and sighed into his rice. "Who's worrying?" He asked, slightly annoyed. "She'll be back by morning." Kyo looked at Kazuma with a look of utmost bewilderment. "I can't tell you why she left, it's a bit of a secret, and we know about secrets, don't we?" He said quietly. "Yeah." Kyo said and glanced down with a sigh. 

Kyo looked to the sky that night, watching a full moon rise above the mountains in the distance. A soft, mournful howl echoed from the forest below. Kyo glanced at the dense trees. There he sat and fell into a light daze. A second howl broke him of it. This howl seemed distantly like a groan. This stirred his to wonder. An image of Sora flashed in his mind but it didn't seem like the same person Kyo had met only hours before. It seemed strangely animal-like, black fur encircled eyes that glittered gold. Kyo shook his head in annoyance. 'What if… no that could be possible…'

He leapt down from the roof and onto the damp ground with a soft thud, then disappeared into the woods.

The forest around him was dense; the ancient trees towered above him. He guessed it was because he was a cat that he never faltered over the thick underbrush. As he passed, he noticed telltale signs that the forest had been disturbed: patches of crushed grass, broken limbs, and some spots in the brush were red with blood. He came upon a clearing in the trees and his stomach squirmed with nausea. Blood coated the moss below him like a sheet; tufts of grass were ripped from the ground. In the corner, he spotted what looked like a giant dun mass, he soon found out to be a deer, ripped to shreds. He stared sadly at the ruins. What made him feel this way? That little voice in his head answered him. 'It came to such a horrid end.' Another howl broke his moment of silence.


End file.
